Explorer Dwayne Fields named as chief scout

Explorer and presenter Dwayne Fields has been named arsenic the UK's main scout.

Mr Fields, the archetypal achromatic Briton to scope the North Pole, said helium wanted to usage his tenure to amusement the Scouts were a "family for perfectly anyone".

He besides said helium feared galore accepted outdoor skills were "at risk" and that helium hoped to spot the rank of the radical grow.

He volition win Bear Grylls, who has served successful the relation since 2009.

Born successful Jamaica, Mr Fields came to the UK aged six and grew up successful inner-city London.

He archetypal attended a scouts gathering successful Palmers Green, northbound London, erstwhile helium was seven, and has said: "I ne'er thought I belonged anyplace until the infinitesimal I walked into that hut."

In 2010, helium made his expedition to the North Pole, and has since presented programmes for Channel 5, Disney+ and National Geographic.

"To beryllium fixed this relation arsenic main scout, to maine it's pridefulness of place, really," helium said.

"There are a batch of groups and communities who inactive deliberation that possibly scouting isn't for them and I'm hoping that they'll look astatine maine and say, 'Well, actually, I person thing successful communal with that feline - helium grew up wherever I grew up, helium looks similar me. If scouting is for him, it's for maine arsenic well.'"

Writing for the BBC successful 2012, Mr Fields said wanted to promote inner-city teenagers to task into the countryside arsenic a mode of "opening their worlds" and "unlocking their potential".

"The countryside opens you up to a antithetic mode of living," helium said.

"You're distant from trouble, distant from your peers and the pressures of others. Living retired successful the wilderness you cannot past connected your own, you person to enactment arsenic a team.

"It's these benignant of skills - and others - that would person specified a profound interaction connected teenagers' outlook connected life."

Founded successful 1910 by Lord Baden-Powell, the Scouts present person a rank of much than 500,000 young radical and big volunteers.

The main scout is appointed for a five-year word but tin enactment connected for longer, with Mr Fields the 11th idiosyncratic to clasp the title.

He said helium besides wanted to usage his clip successful the relation to absorption connected "growth and bringing much volunteers on-board".

"The much we get much young radical to spell extracurricular and beryllium progressive successful the outdoors and walk clip successful nature, successful our earthy spaces, the much they'll admit it and privation to safeguard it going forward," helium said.

Carl Hankinson, UK main unpaid astatine the Scouts, said: "I'm truthful excited to invited Dwayne Fields arsenic main scout.

"He champions the consciousness of belonging Scouts gives young people. He is capable to scope crossed generations, to further grow scope crossed each communities."